CBS affiliate ditch Rush Limbaugh’s radio show over - “slutgate” was not the reason

Rush Limbaugh’s radio show has been removed from Philadelphia’s top conservative radio station, CBS affiliate.

The New York Times reported that the move was not due to Limbaugh’s controversial comments about Georgetown University Law student Sandra Fluke. Limbaugh lost several advertisers for his show following his repeated attacks on the student for advocating insurance-covered contraception.

In the last month, since his attacks on Fluke, Limbaugh’s show has been dropped by two radio stations. He’s also lost more than 100 advertisers.
The Radio & Television Business Report observed “The move had nothing to do with Limbaugh’s controversy with Fluke and more to do with fees, barter and renewing contracts. Smerconish is a hometown guy, it’s a smart move and WPHT is going local anyway.”

This week Governor Mike Huckabee debuted his own radio show. With the same time slot as Limbaugh’s show it is advertising itself as the “safer alternative”.

The station, WPHT, plans to air the more moderate radio host Michael Smerconish in his slot.